this morning on "world news now," tense celebration from unprecedented security in new york to a terror threat in the u.s. and in europe. the new year is welcomed in with an uneasy feeling. > frightening fire. flames and smoke shooting out of a 66-story hotel on new year's eve. the injuries, evacuations and the decision to continue holiday fire borks not far away. new this half hour, the 2016 election year is officially here. >> and as we look back at the past year in politics, we look ahead at the campaigns, the power plays and who is fighting to win this year's elections. >> and later, looking fit and glamorous in the new year. you can look like a real star if you know the right diet and workout routine. some expert advice on this friday, january 1st.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning and happy new year, everyone. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm lauren lyster. i'm really enjoying celebrating the new year here with all these great party favors. we should wear on >> let's see how long we can get away before they tell us to take things off. >> you guys should tweet us your new year's get upups because we've got ours. we certainly do. with that we should get right to our top story and probably this is a little too light for it. a tense but so far uneventful new year's around the world. despite terror warnings people did turn out not letting threats ruin their situations. >> that's right. just hours ago at times square in new york was packed with a million revelers and 6,000 police officers. the live pictures here much different scene than last night. >> three, two, one. happy new year!

>> it's finally 2016. and people around the world are ringing in the new year with those three familiar words. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. >> from a jam packed times square in new york all the way to the mosque ca river in moscow. crowds cheered as colorful fireworks displays painted the night sky. new zealand was the first to ring in the new year with australia nipping at its heels lighting up the famous sydney harbor, celebrations from hong kong to tokyo illuminating the night sky. one show in particular left the world watching in a different kind of awe. in dubai, even with a hotel fire raging nearby, the world's tallest building, the burj khalifa fitted with 400,000 led lights and 1.6 tons of fireworks carried on their display as scheduled. all across the globe, millions crowded hick landmarks just to get a glimpse of the fire works.

cities around the world are in a heightened state of alert. paris canceling some events still recuperating from the horror of november's terrorist attack. and somber scenes in brussels where festivities were also canceled amid security fears over a similar style attack. those fears nearly realized here at home. in rochester, new york, federal officials arrested a man believed to be planning a terrorist attack leading to the cancellation of the city's fireworks display. and that be alleged isis sympathizer planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar in new york state's third largest city. the man allegedly hoped the assault in rochester would convince isis to let him june the terror group overseas. he told an informant he had no problem with killing people. in germany, police evacuated two munich train stations hours before midnight after receiving tips from another country of a credible threat. it was believed five to seven suicide bombers were planning an

attack. thankfully nothing happened and the two stations are now open again. now to that fire in dubai. it did not impact the city's new year's eve celebrations. what's billed as the world's largest fireworks display went on as usual. it looks fabulous there. at the hotel where the fire broke out, witnesses were describing a horrifying scene with no emergency precautions in place. >> no sprinklers, there's no fire alarm. and the escape route was crap. >> hundreds of people were evacuated and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured. there does not appear to be any link to terrorism. alsz mom tonya couch is spending the new year in a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. her attorney says couch has not broken any texas loss and she looks forward to her day in court, but in mexico, ethan couch remains in custody. here's abc's matt gutman. >> after racing south of the

border, the couches now in legal limbo. tonya couch being held in isolation in the l.a. county jail charged with hindering the apprehension of her 1-year-old son eeth. the mom's bail set at $1 million. escorted by u.s. marshals ignoring reporters' questions. her attorney saying she's innocent and -- >> what she did was note anything to help herself. she did this, it appears to protect her son. >> reporter: if convicted she faces unto ten years in prison to help her son. >> where is he going to go? we're going to get him at one point or another. >> we watched as he was taken from this detention center late wednesday. turns out he was taken to another detention center in mexico city. his third city since his arrest monday in the resort town of port tote vallarta. that the couches checked into

this resort saying investigators opting for this lower end apartment and a lower profile on christmas eve. tonya even buying in this local butcher. tonya couch is likely to be extradited from this jail to texas sometime next week. her son ethan could be stuck in that mexico city facility for weeks sharing a room with four or five other people. matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. there's much more about the ethan couch case tonight on a special edition of abc news 20/20" end of the road at 10:00 eastern. in chicago, protesters returned to mayor rahm emanuel's home demanding his resignation. students from northern illinois marched in memory of 19-year-old quintonioio legrier, their classmate fatally shot by a police officer on saturday. >> city officials finally released thousands of e-mails relateded to the shooting of laquan mcdonald revealing a coordinated response from the mayor's office and others to the shootings. president obama is expected to take executive action next week against gun violence.

one measure could expand background checks on gun sales. the white house may also impose tighter rules for reporting guns that get lost or stolen on their way to a buyer. gun rights advocates are promising to challenge any action the president takes. the state department says that is portions of 275 e-mails released yesterday from hillary clinton's time as secretary of state have been newly classified. clinton has said she didn't send or receive information that was classified at the time from her personal e-mail account. the state department says it fell short of the number of e-mails it was ordered to release by a federal judge. floodwaters are making it difficult to get around the central midwest. although interstate 55 reopened near st. louis, other highways are closed because of flooding. >> many homes are underwater. abc's elizabeth hur is in the middle of the flood zone. good morning. >> reporter: phillip and lauren, good morning to you. the mayeramec river behind me h crested and finally receding.

but so many businesses in this are still underwater. rivers reaching record levels in missouri. the mayor mack river crested in valley park early thursday about four feet bob the previous record. the mississippi river now on track to crest at the famous arch in downtown st. louis some 21 feet above flood stage. all the rivers that feed this area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the missouri are all coming with their flood crests right here today. so that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: the overflowing rivers already flooded hundreds of roems and hundreds of residents were evacuated. authorities are still warning residents to stay away from the water. the swollen merrimack now being blamed for breaching another wastewater treatment plant in st. louis county pouring raw sewage into the river. so far, nine levees have been toppled, nearly a dozen more threatened. and missouri not the only

flooded state from illinois to north carolina. >> it was running hard and coming up fast. >> reporter: their rare winter flooding is also wreaking havoc. >> it's really mind boggling. to see it coming by with the strength it has and to imagine what it can do to our surroundings is powerful. >> reporter: right now in some communities there is a boil water advisory in effect. here in st. louis county, authorities say the water is safe to drink for now but they are monitoring the situation around the clock. phillip and lauren? >> elizabeth, thank you. in the flood zone, chilly temperatures again. some parts of the midwest could ceelos this morning in the single digits. downpours from the gulf coast to jacksonville. snow in the upper great lakes from wisconsin to upstate new york, mild and dry in the west. >> 60s in los angeles and phoenix. 40s in seattle, dallas and boston. 30s in denver and great falls, and 20s in chicago and detroit. hawaii is ringing in 2016

with a tobacco crackdown. they're raising the legal smoking age to 21. it is the first state in the nation to take such action. the new law also includes electronic cigarettes. stores violating the law could be fined as much as $2,000. minors caught smoking may be fined as much as $50. investors are hoping for a better year in 2016. stocks closed lower yesterday capping the worst year for the market since 2008. the dow jones also closed with a loss. the nasdaq did a bit better gaining for the year. several factors contributed to the decline including worries about interest rates. 2015 was also a bad year for warren buffett. the oracle of omaha lost $11.3 billion. shares of his company berkshire hathaway slid 11% but don't feel too bad. he's still the world's third richest man with a personal fortune estimated at $63 billion.

and you may be feeling a little richer this morning after a year of low gasoline prices. 2015 ended with the national average priced at exactly $2. aaa estimates each licensed driver saved an average of almost 600 bucks over the past year. and the outlook for 2016 is good. low low gas prices. all right. the new year was welcomed to key west florida not by flashing ball drops or tremendous amounts of confetti. >> it was a parade of dachshunds. look at them there. they're so cute. they wore costumes, part of the island city'sbrasion to ring in the new year. the wiener wonderland so to speak featured more than 160 dachshunds and their human owners presumably. >> the canine costumes, they ran the gamut from sea creatures to a unicorn and, of course, "star wars" characters. there was no cost to participate in the key west dachshund walk but donations of dog and cat food were requested for the

community pet food pantry. >> oh, my gosh, there's the unicorn. very cute. >> coming up, welcoming the new year by looking back at unforgettable year in politics. >> also ahead, getting as fit as a glamorous celebrity in 2016. the workout and diet plan getting attention in hollywood. >> but first, why bill cosby's wife could be put in a legal hot seat in his sex abuse scandal. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "

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>> i have faith in the justice system. >> and some of cosby's other accusers also reacting to the criminal charge. >> i just started to cry i think they were tears of relief, tears of joy and tears of validation. >> reporter: more than 50 women have come forward, claiming cosby sexually assaulted, drugged or raped them, which he has consistently denied. his wife of 50 years, camille, always standing by his side. now, she may be the next one in the hot seat. though she launched a legal battle to prevent being forced to speak about her husband in a related civil case next week, abc news has learned that request has been denied. as for that criminal charge, cosby, who is reportedly worth approximately $400 million, is free on $1 million bail. he faces ten years in prison if

convicted. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. and last night, bill cosby did tweet, and it was this simple five-word message. he said friends and fans, thank you. difficult year ahead for mr. cosby. coming up, bidding farewell to one of the most contentious years in politics. >> among the fireworks and bombshells, 2015 saw one of the widest fields of presidential candidates in recent memory. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continuous after this from our abc stations. om our abc stations.

today, 1 out of every 4 american kids is hispanic. that means many of the future doctors who will care for us, the engineers who will build our cities, the scientists and entrepreneurs of our country can be your kids. we all know how hard it is for you to send them to college. this is why we want you to know you are not alone, and every day, more people support you to make it happen. many support you, and the hispanic scholarship fund helps you prepare, plan, and pay for your kids' college education. learn more at hsf.net.

♪ new york, new york ♪ i want to wake up >> reflecting on 2015, it certainly was one of the most active years in politics it seems. >> absolutely. from one of the widest fields of presidential candidates slinging some of the most divisive rhetoric to a sitting pope stepping into the fray. this will be one year for the books. here's abc's karen travers. >> getting in the groove here. >> reporter: it's been an unconventional year in politics. surprises. surges. and one bombshell see you later. it's crowded out there on the republican presidential trail. so many candidates, they're doubling up on debates. the main stage and what some

called the kids' table. but the gop race has been dominated by one man. >> i am officially running for president of the united states. >> reporter: donald trump launched his campaign with his signature bravado and immediately shook things up. >> our leaders are stupid. >> reporter: many thought the trump balloon would burst but he's not only held on to his commanding lead, he's increased it despite many controversial statements about mexican immigrants. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. >> reporter: and muslims. >> for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: his comments have brought harsh criticism from democrats and republicans. his supporters say finally a candidate who tells it like it is. ben carson had a brief jump in the polls before fading. now ted cruz is riding a strong surge into the new year. on the democratic side, hillary clinton holds wide leads nationally.

but some voters are feeling the burn. vermont senator bernie sanders giving the former secretary of state a run for her money. some polls showing him ahead in the key early state of new hampshire. the controversy over clinton's private e-mail server dogged her on the trail for some time. earlier this fall she tried to put it to bed. >> that was a mistake. i'm sorry about that. i take responsibility. >> reporter: that issue sparked perhaps the only real fireworks in the democratic debates. >> the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails. >> thank you. >> reporter: the highlight on capitol hill this year came in september when pope francis delivered a historic address to congress. that visit was orchestrated by house speaker john boehner who just one day later dropped a bombshell on washington, announcing he was resigning. >> i woke up and i said my prayers as i always do, and i decided, you know, today's the day i'm going to do this. >> reporter: that launched a mad scramble among house

republicans. conservatives threw their weight around rejecting candidates to replace boehner. when the dust settled, it was paul ryan who emerged as his party's best option to lead a very fractured republican majority. and while it feels like the presidential campaign has been going on forever, there's still several weeks to go before voters finally get to have their say. karen travers, abc news, washington. and, of course, it's only going to get hotter with the iowa caucuses in february, new hampshire coming up. so big year ahead, of course. >> absolutely. if you thought you saw the last of donald trump, huh-uh, 2016 will be him versus it seems like the rest of the field not only the republicans, he's been taking on hillary lately but the one thing i'm looking forward to is more "snl" skits, the best part of the election year in my opinion. >> yeah, great, great point. >> all of it.

all right. coming up, buckling down on those new year's resolutions. >> and the most popular new year's resolution is to lose weight. how hollywood does it, coming up. i pinky promised my little girl a fabulous

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rid-x. the #1 brand used by septic professionals in their own tanks. ♪ let's get physical, physical, i want to get physical ♪ ♪ let's get into physical ♪ let me hear your body talk >> love that song. >> that's a good video. >> finally this half hour, that new year's resolution to get fit and lose weight. >> yes, you know that one. every year, there's never a shortage of a slew really of new diet fads. this morning we're checking out how some of the biggest stars manage to stay in shape. here is abc's aditi roy. >> reporter: looking to get toned like taraji?

kick did like khloe and carrie, bend like jen? now you can as the stars dish on everything from their diet secrets to fitness routines in the latest issue of "us weekly." >> every year, of course, after the holidays getting into the new year, everyone is ready to get their diets and exercise routine into high gear. all of these stars each of them have a fun little tip that anyone can pick up at home. >> for actress gabrielle union, balance is the name of the game. >> balance yourself. if you want the doughnut, have the doughnut. i ate a whole serving of apple cake. i needed it so i ate it. >> top tips? >> eliminate all sugary drinks. are lean meat, sleep and regulating your schedule. i try to get to bed early. >> reporter: no cookies for this cookie. "empire" actress taraji p. henson dropped two sizes in a year thanks to daily two-hour

workouts focusing on jogging, squats and her core. the actress revealing i tell myself just show up and your body will change. >> reporter: white hot j.lo loves her greens. i eat asparagus, brussell sprouts, kale, everything you can think of, says the superstar. >> she told us she feels better now than she did when she was in her 20s. >> reporter: aditi roy, abc news, san francisco. i like what gabrielle union said, it's all about balance. you got to the have the that berger if you want that berger. dodieprive yourself. >> so many people saying no more drinking after tonight. no more burgers after tonight. look at that. >> and you want to pump some iron like that, phillip. >> see how swoll i am? because i did so much. that's why. >> okay. all right. >> we'll see you. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades. "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.

making news in america this morning -- the new year arrives safely across the u.s. celebrations from coast to coast are carried out with tight security. for authorities 2016 is off to a successful start. towering inferno, the spectacular scenes from dubai as a luxury hotel is engulfed in flames. investigators now on the scene. quite an arrival on the west coast. some absolutely amazing facts about the largest cargo ship to ever arrive here in the u.s. it cleared the golden gate bridge with just 20 feet to spare. and starting the new year the right way. the reason they came together in the first place.